Feb 17, 2022 | Non categorizzato
In one of her meditations Chiara Lubich writes “mercy is the ultimate expression of charity, the one that fulfils it[1]. It is not a feeling, therefore, but a concrete action that, united with an inner intention, pushes us to distance ourselves from ourselves and turn our gaze to the other. A revolutionary movement that heals and generates life.” Don’t miss the opportunity At the station, I had just bought a return ticket to a certain city. I rushed to the platform but was disappointed to discover the train had just left. I went back to the ticket office to try and get a refund and further information but the lady in charge told me she couldn’t spend time on me with so many people in the queue. Disgruntled, I walked away feeling really angry but as I was putting my tickets in my diary, a phrase I had written down that morning caught my eye: ‘Don’t miss any opportunities’. I stopped, reflected, then made up my mind: “I must not miss the opportunity to love!”. I walked back to the lady at the ticket office, and when it was my turn I told her I was sorry if I was too demanding with her and that I understood her reaction. The expression on her face and her tone of voice changed and, without persuasion, she started to deal with my situation. She even started looking for alternative routes to enable me to reach my destination in time. It really doesn’t take much to restore harmony in relationships. (R.J. – Romania) The list of enemies As his followers Jesus wants us to love our enemies. He wants us to forgive. For a long time I didn’t think this concerned me. I live a quiet life, have a good position in society and a calm family. We don’t hurt anyone and try to protect ourselves from the negative in society. Nevertheless, that phrase troubled me. Enemies? When I really thought about it, I realised I still did have some but had relegated them to a part of my brain where they would not bother me. One by one, situations came to mind in which, rather than face the opposition of an ‘enemy’, I fled. Running away had become a real habit. But Jesus was asking something else of me. So I made a list of all the ‘enemies’ for whom I had to do something: with a phone call, a message or a meeting to let each of them know they were part of my life. It really wasn’t easy – obstacles and reasonings kept holding me back. Now that I have overcome myself, I can truly say that Jesus’ commandment has achieved its purpose – it has made me feel alive. (G.R. – Portugal)
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year VIII, n.1, January-February 2022) [1] C. Lubich, “When you have known suffering”, in Essential writings, Città Nuova, Rome 2006, pp. 140-141
Feb 16, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Darci Rodrigues was someone who knew how to live her life for the cause of unity, in her characteristically “marian“ style. From the moment Brazilian Focolarina Darci Rodrigues left us on 10 February 2022, and again in the hours after her funeral, social media was humming with expressions of appreciation and gratitude for her life. She was well known throughout Brazil and beyond due to the many roles of responsibility she had undertaken in the Focolare Movement, which allowed her to forge relationships with a staggering number of people around the world. “A life as full and challenging as hers never stopped her from being refreshingly ‘normal’, as many have commented, combined with a great spiritual depth. And she was so greatly loved by everyone because of this”, reflected Saad Zogheib Sobrinho, Focolarino also from Brazil, summing up the reactions of many who lived and interacted with her over the years. The young Darci first met the charism of Chiara Lubich in 1963 at a Mariapolis gathering over a few days in the city of Garanhuns, in the state of Pernambuco. “It was such a strong experience” Darci herself said when relating her first contact with Focolare. “I was fascinated! Especially by how I saw the Gospel being lived”. At that time she was a student at the University of Recife, “surrounded by Marxist ideas and strong criticisms of the Church” as she recalled. The contrast with this new encounter with God was overwhelming. She embraced the charism of unity and decided to consecrate her life to God in the Focolare as a Focolarina. Once decided, she left her fianzé, her family and studies behind to attend the formation school for Focolarini in Italy from 1964to 1966. She then returned to Brazil and dedicated herself to working for the aims of the Focolare. After a time in Belo Horizonte, she was transferred to the region of Vargem Grande Paulista, near São Paulo to support the beginnings of Mariapolis Araceli (now known as Mariapolis Ginetta), one of the three main Focolare centres in Brazil. She later moved to the city of São Paulo from where, for 20 years, she guided the development of the Focolare Movement in the south-east and centre-west states of the country. In 2002 she was elected as Counsellor for the Focolare Movement in Brazil. In the Movement’s next Assembly which took place in 2008 after the death of founder Chiara Lubich, Darci was re-elected as a Counsellor, this time nominated by the newly-elected Focolare President, Maria Voce, as ‘Central Delegate’ with a leading role in the governance of the Movement at an international level. “At times I had to tackle difficult issues. But in those moments, I always found peace and a special assistance of the Holy Spirit“, she recalled. “Often I may have had my own idea ready, but then I could recognize that Jesus – through another person – wanted something different, perhaps the exact opposite of what I was thinking! What was important was to trust in the presence of Jesus among us, and not only rely on my own common sense“, she explained. In May 2012 she was diagnosed with serious lung disease. She described receiving the news: “The test results were conclusive. The doctor told me I was going to need a lot of courage to combat it and persevere. But deep inside, I held the strong conviction that nothing happens by chance and that God has a plan of love for each one of us“. To the amazement of her doctors, Darci responded unexpectedly well to the treatment. Her close colleague Gloria Campagnaro remembers that period very clearly. “Life went on as usual, in the sense that she retained her calm demeanour whatever she was doing: therapy, daily walks prescribed by her doctor, as well as her work for the Movement albeit for a reduced number of hours. Her life continued to be fruitful and to build unity“. In May 2020 her illness returned and she was admitted to hospital on several occasions. In these last steps of her life, Darci was surrounded by the love and prayers of the whole Focolare community. She recorded a video message just before Christmas in which she declared her conviction which had guided her whole life: “Jesus is in our midst“. Federal Government spokesperson, Luiza Erundina, responded to the news of Darci’s death with the declaration: “She leaves an exemplary lesson on how to live fully the ideal of unity and fraternity which humanity needs so badly“. What stands out from the countless expressions of gratitude to God for the life of Darci Rodrigues is a universal recognition of the serenity and joyous welcome she extended to every person she met throughout her life, wherever she was. In essence, as someone described it, hers was a ‘Marian’ presence.
Luís Henrique Marques Editor of Cidade Nova magazine
Feb 15, 2022 | Non categorizzato
From thinking about how to share came a great deal of solidarity: an airlift to Beirut to transport both medicines for the chronically ill, and powdered milk for new-born babies. This action, in response to an appeal by the Latin Rite Apostolic Vicariate of Beirut and the Vatican’s Apostolic Nunciature in Lebanon, involves the Focolare Movement, the John Paul II Foundation and many people from Italy and Lebanon, who have joined together to support this project, as if part of one family. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z84D_ZOdVgY
Feb 14, 2022 | Non categorizzato
On life’s journey, we sometimes need to slow down for a while and listen to the voice that speaks in our heart. We will discover new challenges as Chiara Lubich suggests in this text. Listening to the voice of Jesus does not only mean listening to his teaching and adopting it as our own. It means establishing a personal relationship with him, as he calls each one individually, by name. He makes his voice heard deep within us, and his truth – which is the truth – is at work in our heart, even though each person is free to answer his invitation or not. Giving the example of the good shepherd, Jesus states that there is opposition between the legitimate shepherd, who enters by the door, and the thief or brigand who climbs over the fence. Throughout the centuries, false messiahs have tried to attract people with their ideologies – and they still do today! However, those who belong to Jesus know his voice, and do not allow themselves to be deceived by these false promises. They do not trust other voices. (…) Try to listen to the voice of Jesus speaking in your heart. You will see that it will lead you out of your selfishness, your lack of love, your desire to dominate, your pride, your tendency to violence… out of everything that enslaves you. If you entrust your life to Jesus and let him be your guide, you will certainly never succumb to the temptation of an easy, comfortable Christian life. You will be led away from a life that is mediocre and without meaning In following him, who speaks in your heart, who calls you personally (because he calls us one by one), you will not be following a “beaten track,” but you will set out on a divine adventure that you would never have dreamed of. Everything will be new and beautiful, even though it will not be easy for your human nature. You will see how creative God’s imagination is, and you will understand that by following a shepherd like this, your life will be full, abounding in fruits and spreading goodness everywhere. And you will finally understand what a powerful, amazing revolution the Gospel produces when it is lived.
Chiara Lubich
(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] Città Nuova, 2017, pp. 204-208)
Feb 11, 2022 | Non categorizzato
Allowing God to guide us and discovering that His love, even in silence, acknowledges our efforts. Ángel Canó, a married focolarino from the Dominican Republic, shares his experience. In 2001, routine medical examinations revealed a slight problem with my heart’s mitral valve but the situation unexpectedly got worse at the end of 2020 and the cardiologist confirmed the presence of a ‘time bomb’ in my chest. My wife, Margarita, also a married focolarina, and I accepted the diagnosis with great peace, placing ourselves in God’s hands. We decided to discuss it immediately with our son, Angel Leonel, and our daughter, Zoila, who is a doctor in the USA. She spoke directly with the cardiologist and consulted a colleague at the centre where she works who confirmed that surgery was needed. I spent the evening before the operation very peacefully with Margarita, preparing myself physically, mentally and spiritually for what lay ahead. We felt confident and the next day, when we arrived at the operating theatre, we declared our love for each other and said goodbye, certain that we would see each other again soon. When I woke up, I felt as if I had come back to life, even though I had a strong arrhythmia, my heart was racing like a horse and I was struggling to articulate words. The doctors were quick to analyse everything while I was dealing with the post-operational pain. They then allowed Margarita to come in and her words of encouragement and faith gave me a lot of peace. I then spent ten very difficult days in intensive care dealing with pain, the helplessness of feeling immobile, the sense of loneliness, insomnia and the fear of dying. Long nights in which God seemed to remain silent in front of my cry. I didn’t think I would get through it all. One morning, heavily sedated, I heard a voice saying ‘brother’ to me repeatedly. When I opened my eyes, I saw the face of a priest whom we love very much. It was a moment that really restored my faith. Heaven had always been with me and this feeling stayed with me during those days. One day, when I had come out of intensive care, Margarita, laying her head gently on my battered chest, said: “What a joy to be able to hug you again”. Words that not only expressed happiness, but the meaning of life. It was like rediscovering the love she had for me. I was alive, not only thanks to medical skill but also to the Will of a God who was manifesting his love by giving me a new chance at life. Today, I see everything as a great gift and feel strongly committed to understanding what God wants from me now, how I can reciprocate. Every evening, in my prayers, I thank Heaven and when a new day dawns, there are no words to express my gratitude for the opportunity to see the light of the sun again and to look at my wife and children with new eyes.
Ángel Canó
Feb 10, 2022 | Non categorizzato
To meet Jesus in our neighbour is to discover the tenderness and beauty of his love. Opening ourselves to each other allows us to be a gift to anyone who passes by and even unexpectedly receive a hundredfold. Heart full of joy A very poor family with five children lives in our village. The father is an alcoholic. Three of them are in the same class as my children. One evening, as we were leaving school, it was raining hard. I took the children in my car and, seeing the three of them on the street, I picked them up and drove them home. “Come and meet my mother,” the youngest said to me. We entered the humble house, and the woman thanked me. Then, chatting, she told me that she was looking for a bargain bed for her youngest and showed me their rooms, where the upholstery was peeling away from the walls due to the humidity. The other four children all sleep in the same room. The little two-year-old, practically naked, was wearing an apron that was too long for her. I promised that the day after I would bring her the folding bed that we rarely use. The next day, when we arrived at the family home with the bed, some toys and some clothes, the children jumped for joy, including my own. We left promising to come back. On the way home, my little one exclaimed, “Mommy, my heart is full of joy.” O. D., France The former principal One day, on the street, I ran into the principal of the institute where I was teaching. He had fired me some time before under false pretences. At the time he was still a priest, but he had then left ministry and married. When he recognized me, he tried to avoid me, but I went to greet him. To break the ice, I asked him about his life. He told me he lived in another city, was married to a widowed mother of two, and had come in search of work. He reluctantly shared his address, then we said goodbye. The next day, I spread the news among my friends that I was looking for a job for a person in need. A response did not take long to arrive, and I heard about something that could answer that request. When I contacted him to tell him, he almost couldn’t believe it! He accepted with deep gratitude. He was touched that I took an interest in him. J., Argentina Grandpa Since Grandpa suffers from serious walking problems, he has given up his usual walks and instead stays home and reads in an armchair and sleeps, even though the geriatrician has encouraged him to exercise and go out. How best to rekindle in him the drive to heal, to fight for life? Our daughters, with so much love, came up with the best way to help their tired and depressed grandfather. Every now and then they would take out their playing cards and ask him to play a game of briscola. He would try to get out of it, saying that he was no longer able to play, but they would not give up. During the game, which played out with all the enthusiasm and liveliness of children, he rediscovered the joy and the desire to be together. The girls also continually reminded him of the exercises he had to do, such as a step competition. To help their grandfather raise his knees and not drag his feet, they sat on the ground with their legs outstretched, so he had to climb over them. G., Italy
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
From “Il Vangelo del Giorno,” Città Nuova, year VIII, n.1, January–February 2022
